Story of the Oscars this year - the surprise omissions

Mumbai, Jan 26 (IANS) The Academy Awards have always sought to play it safe, honouring serious, thoughtful movies and tending to ignore the more contemporary, cutting edge fare.

A prime example of this would be last year's best picture winner "Crash" which beat out "Brokeback Mountain" in the annual awards of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. "Crash" was the hyper preachy ode to racial relations whereas "Brokeback Mountain" examined gay cowboy love.

It is no different with this year's nominations in the best film category, which were announced recently. However, the story of this year's nominations is the surprise omissions.

Sticking to its 'let's celebrate harmony and triumph of the human spirit' themes in movies, the Academy chose to honour "The Departed", "The Queen", "Babel", "Letters from Iwo Jima" and "Little Miss Sunshine" in the best film category.

With "The Departed" and "The Queen", the Academy is acknowledging more straightforward narrative and well-crafted films in the mode of vintage Hollywood.

"Babel" is a sombre meditation on the trappings of cultural interactions with a hint of melancholic regret, and "Letters from Iwo Jima" plays out the guilt of finally empathising with our enemies.

"Little Miss Sunshine" is the only non-mainstream independent film to be included and it too reflects the Academy's self-congratulatory attitude of giving the little ones a chance.

The most surprising omission this year from the best film list is Bill Condon's "Dreamgirls" starring Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Jamie Foxx.

The movie hauled in eight nominations, albeit mostly in technical categories, but even with all that it got no nods for the biggies like best picture, best director or best screenplay.

Director-actor Clint Eastwood pulled out the almost impossible feat of putting out two movies on the same theme from opposing viewpoints.

While his "Letters from Iwo Jima", which explores the battle from the Japanese perspective got recognised, its counterpart "Flags of our Fathers" about the American soldiers who raised the flag in the iconic picture by Joe Rosenthal got snubbed.

Many felt "Flags of our Fathers" was a better movie, but the Academy could have looked at it as just another war movie with all the usual harrumphing.

Then there is the neat give some take some trick in giving a nomination to "Little Miss Sunshine" for best picture but not best director. On the other hand, Paul Greengrass is nominated for the best director for "United 93 but the film is ignored in best picture category.

In the foreign film category, Spanish film "Volver" by Pedro Almodovar was shockingly absent both for best foreign film or best director while its lead actress Penelope Cruz got a best actress nomination.

But the most tragic "omission" of sorts for us in India would be Deepa Mehta's "Water", an Indian story with an all Indian cast is honoured as a Canadian film and we in India have not even been able to watch it let alone celebrate the praise the rest of the world seems to be lavishing on it.

It will be a month till the actual awards ceremony on Feb 25 and one can expect the usual hustling about from the studios to get their movies as much attention as possible and a chance for fans to catch up on familiarising themselves with the nominations.

When the awards are finally handed out, there will, no doubt, be even more discussion on the omissions. But for all the nominees right now, it is great just to be acknowledged even if they lose out finally.

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